More than 90,000 Michigan residents are currently without power, according to the Consumers Energy outage map, as severe storms have swept through the state. Consumers Energy has reported over 900 outages affecting these customers.
In the DeWitt area, DeWitt Public Schools have closed due to a power outage impacting more than 2,500 customers. The situation remains critical as Consumers Energy deploys 480 crews to assess damage and begin restoring power.
As of March 16, Consumers Energy has indicated that 339 customers in Leelanau County are without power. Across the region, the total number of outages reported stands at 1,021, with the majority of customers still having power.
In Branch County, over 5,000 customers are without power, with more than 4,000 outages reported specifically in Kinderhook Township. Consumers Energy has stated that almost 85,000 customers are affected by power outages stemming from severe storms in the southern lower Peninsula and a winter storm impacting the Upper Peninsula and lower Northern Peninsula.
Norm Kapala, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy, emphasized the company’s commitment to restoring power, stating, “We will work closely with community leaders to ensure we’re serving our communities and restoring power as soon as we can do so safely.”
Jean Kang, another representative, noted, “We know Michiganders stand tall against severe weather, and we’re working 24/7 to help our friends and neighbors withstand this ongoing storm.”
Cherryland Electric Cooperative also provided an update, mentioning, “The wind has died down and it’s allowing line crews to work more efficiently.”
However, the estimated restoration time varies, with some customers expected to wait until early Tuesday morning, while others may have to wait until late this afternoon or evening for power to be restored.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, supplying natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents. The ongoing efforts to restore power highlight the challenges faced by utility companies during severe weather events.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full extent of damage and the timeline for complete restoration, but the situation is being closely monitored by local officials and utility crews.
